Aloes and Lilies of Ethiopia and Eritrea

Description
Habitat and
distribution
Notes
Aloe kefaensis
Description
teeth (28–40 per 10 cm less than 1.5 mm long).
ALOE
65
Rosettes stemless, solitary or suckering to form clumps. Leaves
5–10, up to 26 × 1.6–2.6 cm, narrowly oblong, canaliculate to
cylindrical, green with numerous pale spots. Marginal teeth 22–
25 per 10 cm, (0.5–)1.5 mm long, white, sometimes with minute
dark tips. Inflorescence and perianth similar to A. macrocarpa.
Inflorescence 50–75 cm high, racemes (1–)2–3, to 20 cm long, lax.
Bracts (5–)11 × (1.5–)3 mm. Pedicel (7–)20 mm long. Perianth
(20–)28 mm long, base 6 mm wide, limb 4.5–6 mm wide.
The species grows in partial shelter of bushes in deciduous
bushland on limestone at about 1600 m, east of Negele in
Sidamo flotistic region. It also occurs in northern Kenya.
The main flowering period in Ethiopia is from October
to November.
Only a few Ethiopian plants have been observed in the
wild, and there is a need for more field studies.
11. Aloe kefaensis Gilbert & Sebsebe
The specific epithet ‘kefaensis’ refers to the region ‘Kefa’,
where the only known naturally occurring populations
are found. This species is widely cultivated in Addis
Ababa and Jimma. It was descri bed in 1997. The type
material was collected SW of Gibe (Ghibe) River in Kefa
floristic region.
The species is a member of the ‘sapo na ria’ group
(numbers 7–11). It is distinguished from the other
members of the group by the leaves being much less
fleshy, the spots on the leaves being much more sparse or
even absent, and the basal swelling of the perianth being
less distinctly globose.
Rosettes stemless. Leaves 35–45 × 8–11 cm, less fleshy than usual
for the genus, green with obscure longitudinal dark lines and few
or no pale spots. Marginal teeth 12–19 per 10 cm, 3–4.5 mm long,
pale, sometimes with minute dark tip. Inflorescence c. 1.5 m high,
little branched. Racemes 30–35 cm long, lax (2– 3 flowers per cm).
Bracts 11–14 × 4.5–6 mm. Pedicels 16–22 mm long. Perianth as in
A. macrocarpa, but with basal swelling not so sharply delimited and
not clearly globose, 28–32 mm long, base ca. 6 mm wide and limb
4.5–5 mm wide when pressed.